Conflict of Interest Guidelines

The interest of the clients of Landlord’s Self-Help Centre shall take priority over any individual interest of any member of the Board of Directors and over any interest of any group or organization to which a staff or board member may belong or by whom he or she is employed.

A conflict of interest exists when a financial, legal or other interest of a board member, or the financial, legal or other interest of a friend, family member or business associate, or a corporation or partnership in which a board member holds a significant interest, or a person or organization to whom a board member owes an obligation or duty, could influence the board member’s decisions or impair his or her ability to act fairly, impartially, without bias and in the best interests of the Centre; and shall include any situation in which a director or family member could personally benefit as a result of any decision made by the Board of Directors.

For purposes of these guidelines, the term “family member” includes but is not limited to the following: a spouse (including common-law or same-sex spouses), and a parent, grandparent, child or sibling, or the spouse of any of these.

For purposes of these guidelines, “conflict of interest” includes actual conflicts (existing at the present time) and potential conflicts (which may arise in the future).

Every board director who has an interest, whether directly or indirectly, in any matter relevant to the work of Landlord’s Self-Help Centre or any matter before the Board of Directors, or whose family member has any such interest, shall make full and fair disclosure of the nature and extent of said interest to the Executive Director, who shall report the conflict or potential conflict at the next meeting of the Board of Directors.

For purposes of the foregoing, “any matter” includes but is not limited to pending litigation and/or any proposed or current contract or other business transaction.

Any board member may raise the possibility of any conflict or potential conflict of interest of another board member.

A board member with a conflict or potential conflict of interest shall abstain from all discussions and decision-making pertaining to any matter giving rise to a conflict.

All declarations and disclosures of conflict of interest, and abstentions due to conflict of interest, by board members, shall be recorded in the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors.